Red Raiders aim high at NCAA indoor meet
The trophies that go to the top four teams at the annual NCAA indoor track and field championships have remained tantalizingly out of reach for Texas Tech men's teams. The Red Raiders finished fifth in 2013 and 2015 and sixth in 2018 and 2019.
Their expectations are high again this year to finally break through. The Tech men are ranked No. 3 going into the NCAA indoor championships Friday and Saturday at the Albuquerque (N.M.) Convention Center.
Of the nine Tech men who qualified, seven compete Friday, so the Red Raiders' chances of a special weekend will be determined in a hurry.
"Friday is going to be the day. It's going to decide what we do," Tech coach Wes Kittley said. "It's like the Big 12 — you have to fill up lanes; you have to make the finals. And everyone's so equal at this meet, if you're just a tiny bit off, you're going to be left out. But I'm real hopeful."
Two weeks ago, the Red Raiders won the Big 12 indoor title for the third time in six years. Whereas depth of talent goes a long way in a team's chances of winning a conference meet, the national hinges on a handful of elite performers coming through. Tech's fifth-place finish in 2013 came from a three-man contingent scoring 28 points: Kennedy Kithuka and Bryce Lamb winning the 5,000 meters and the triple jump, respectively, and Kole Weldon taking second in the shot put.
The Red Raiders have two national No. 1 performers in NCAA Division I this season and four others ranked in the top six. Terrence Jones and Courtney Lindsey are No. 1 in the 60 meters and in the 200, and Zach Bradford is No. 2 in the pole vault. Caleb Dean is No. 2 and Antoine Andrews No. 4 in the 60-meter hurdles, and Omamuyovwi Erhire is No. 6 in the high jump.
"We start with Terrence and Debo (Don'Dre Swint) in the 60," Kittley said, "and I think they both have a fabulous chance of making the finals and doing well. Courtney's got a really good mark right now in the 200.
"Our two hurdlers are probably the most inexperienced group going. Antoine's a freshman, and Caleb's never been in a situation in the short hurdles at a national meet. ...
"So we need to have a great week. We're going to have a have a great meet. If we do, we can score 40 to 45 points."
The Tech women, ranked No. 11, will be represented by Rosemary Chukwuma in the 60 meters and the 200 meters, Demisha Roswell in the 60-meter hurdles, and Anne-Suzanna Fosther-Katta and Onaara Obamuwagun in the triple jump. Though they have only four athletes in five events, all five entries are ranked in position to score points.
The NCAA indoor championships consist of the top 16 in individual events and the top 12 in relays based on each of their best times since the beginning of the season.
"It's the hardest meet to score at, to get to, in America is the indoor championships," Kittley said, "so we've got to be ready. We're going to have to really be on our game."
Since the Sports Performance Center opened in 2018, Tech athletes spend the vast majority of their time competing at home on a Beynon Sports surface. The Albuquerque Convention Center has a Mondo track. The Red Raiders competed on it once this season at last month's New Mexico Collegiate Classic.
"I like Beynon a little bit better," Kittley said. "It's a little softer. It's easier to train on, but both of them are very, very fast. This is a little bit slicker track. It's not going to be a problem, but it's just made slightly different."
Track & field
What: NCAA indoor championships
When: Friday-Saturday
Where: Albuquerque, New Mexico, Convention Center
Live results: https://flashresults.ncaa.com/Indoor/2023/index.htm
Online streaming: ESPN+
Tech qualifiers
Here is a schedule of Texas Tech athletes competing at the NCAA indoor track and field championships, with competition time, event, national rank, name and season best mark or time.
Friday's schedule
Note: Event finals unless indicated otherwise. An "a" denotes time converted to account for altitude.
WOMEN
Running events
5:15 p.m. — 60 meters semifinal: 3. (tie) Rosemary Chukwuma, 7.11-a seconds.
5:55 p.m. — 60-meter hurdles semifinal: 3. Demisha Roswell, 8.00-a.
6:25 p.m. — 200 meters semifinal: 7. Rosemary Chukwuma, 22.75-a.
MEN
Combined events
11 a.m. — Heptathlon: 15. Denim Rogers, 5,848 points.
Field events
7 p.m. — Pole vault: 2. Zach Bradford, 19 feet, 1 1/2 inches.
Running events
8:15 p.m. — 60 meters semifinal: 1. Terrence Jones, 6.48-a seconds; 16. Don'Dre Swint, 6.59-a.
8:55 p.m. — 60-meter hurdles semifinal: 2. Caleb Dean, 7.54-a; 4. Antoine Andrews, 7.61-a.
9:25 p.m. — 200 meters semifinal: 1. Courtney Lindsey, 20.20-a.
Saturday's schedule
Note: An "x" denotes athlete must qualify through previous round.
Field events
4:45 p.m. — Triple jump: 4. Anne-Suzanna Fosther-Katta, 45 feet, 1 3/4 inches; 8. Onaara Obamuwagun, 44-5 1/4
Running events
5:10 p.m. — 60 meters: x-Rosemary Chukwuma
5:40 p.m. — 60-meter hurdles: x-Demisha Roswell
5:50 p.m. — 200 meters: x-Rosemary Chukwuma
MEN
Combined events
11:30 a.m. — Heptathlon: Denim Rogers
Field events
2 p.m. — High jump: 6. Omamuyovwi Erhire, 7 feet, 3 3/4 inches
7:45 p.m. — Triple jump: 13. Chris Welch, 53-3
Running events
8:10 p.m. — 60 meters: x-Terrence Jones, x-Don'Dre Swint
8:40 p.m. — 60-meter hurdles: x-Caleb Dean, x-Antoine Andrews
8:50 p.m. — 200 meters: x-Courtney Lindsey
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Red Raiders aim high at NCAA indoor meet
